Home / Health / England's Children Face Mental Health Emergency
England's Children Face Mental Health Emergency
29 Jun
Summary
- Over one million children in England need mental health support.
- Anxiety and neurodevelopmental conditions drive referrals.
- Many children wait over two years for critical treatment.
England is confronting a significant crisis in young people's mental health, with over a million children actively engaged with mental health services as of March 2025. This figure represents roughly one in ten children in the country, underscoring the extensive distress among youth.
The primary reasons for referrals include anxiety, suspected autism, and other neurodevelopmental conditions. Referrals for suspected autism saw a sharp 47% increase year-on-year, while anxiety referrals rose by 12% in the same period.
Compounding the crisis, waiting times are substantial. The average wait for treatment is 128 days, with 16% of children waiting over two years. This situation has nearly doubled since 2018-19, indicating a growing demand that outpaces service capacity.
Dame Rachel de Souza, the children's commissioner, emphasized the need for a systemic shift, calling for integrated support across health, education, and social care. Reforms to the special educational needs and disabilities system are viewed as a critical opportunity to improve outcomes.
